Qualifications

[Shaneyboy]

Gentlemen, I have 10-years left in my current career at which time I will be 55. I would love to retrain over that time. I would be interested in the Domestic Installer route as opposed to becoming a fully qualified electrician. Can I respectfully ask;

1.Ignoring the 'get qualified in 18-day' type courses, is it pie-in-the-sky to think that I could successfully retrain over this period?
2. What courses should I look at?
3. Realistically how much work-based assessment would be involved?
4. At 55 would I be actually able to get a job or would it be a case of potentially staring my own business?

I have searched the forum for this and it had not recently been asked. Thanks in advance any advice would be gratefully received.

Kind regards.

 

[Taylortwocities]

As you have some time to plan this I suggest that you start night school while you are still working and do the initial City and Guilds 2330 course.

The 2330 (Levels 2 and 3) is the standard qualification for installation electricians throughout the country

 

[Shaneyboy]

TTC,

Thanks for the reply, I will have a look ay my local college this week.

Kind Regards.

 

[Taylortwocities]

The 2330 and associated quals are craft courses with an amount of hands on content.

Check out the C&G website for the learning institutions in your area that run these courses. They are the only ones who can do the courses and run the exams for C&G.
http://www.cityandguilds.com/Course...installation/2330-electrotechnical-technology

Note: college night (and day) courses will be a lot cheaper but take longer than the instant cramming courses run by some commercial companies. Also you'll be together with a number of other local budding sparks - this can be an intro into work and co=operation opportunities.

 

[ericmark]

At 62 I am forced to retire so I would guess at 55 it would be hard to find work without having a history of work showing previous employments in the same line of work.

There are a few firms always looking for testers have to do a lot of travelling and by time you count travel time very poor pay.

Although C&G2330 is now the recognised qualification anyone of your age would not have one as it was not the qualification taken in 1970 when people of your age would have started however they would have taken the up-grade exams and C&G2377, C&G2382, and C&G2391 would have been taken so these may be better bits of paper to wave about. First two are easy PAT testing and ability to read a book. The last one is quite involved there is now a simpler cut down one C&G2392 which may be better for you but still will not be easy.

The C&G2330 is so simplistic anyone of your age who has the ability to change will be board sick. I started as an Auto Electrician and moved across and did just one day of the C&G2330 and instead did a degree in electrical and electronic engineering which does not teach you how to be an electrician so would not recommend that route. My son did the HND which is the same does not help you become an electrician.

Most of what we learn is not from college but being in college while your starting give one the opportunity to ask how do you do XXX. The courses are designed for people doing the work and you really need some one you can ask.

My dad was an engineer who ran the local steel works power station, my father-in-law was project director for electrical work for Liverpool hospital board so when I moved across I had two good people to ask. My son also moved across and again three people to ask and that is what you need.

Lets face it ohms law is not rocket science but to change a consumer unit and complete all the tests there are many faults you are likely to come across and one could fill a book with where to look to find them. My son said one day to me I came across my first borrowed neutral today on two way switching I remembered you talking about it did you say ........ And this is the point as a family of electricians we would talk about the hard jobs so all other were pre-warned. What I refer to is now a common fault and likely taught in college as an example but before RCD's on lighting most would have never flagged it as a fault.

Read these pages and you will see how faults are far harder than installation one has to find a way around things and use one own brain to decide what to let go and what to dig your heals in with. No earths on lighting is a good example clearly does not comply with current regulations and here again even electricians argue as to what should be let go.

So yes the course can show you how to inspect and test it took me one hour to inspect and test a board with sockets, lights, consumer unit and fill in a report for my C&G2391 if I was to investigate to same level in a house it would take a week experience tells us where to look and what short cuts can and more important can't be taken. College would not dare to tell you the short cuts. Most of use know how to deal with a damp cooker but we would not say on here and certainly you would not be told in college. Another electrician may spill the beans in a pub after a few pints.

So you need a mentor to talk to not only when things go wrong but day to day so you can learn from their mistakes and triumphs to become a sole trader you will not get that from work mates so you need another route.

Good Luck.

 

[Shaneyboy]

TTC thanks for the link, ericmark thank you for the detailed reply, that was exactly what I was looking for.

Kind Regards.

 

[JohnW2]

1.Ignoring the 'get qualified in 18-day' type courses ....

I think you're probably being generous - 3 or 5 days is even more worrying ... I think you've received some good advice here.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Taylortwocities]

Age should not be a barrier. The dot com industry dissolved on me at the age of 50 and I did the (then) 236 C&G at night school over 3 years while learning my craft working for myself and learning the hard way.

I did a couple of joint jobs with an (even older than me) sparky to learn some wrinkles ( ) and then rewired my mother-in law's house as my first largish job. this was before the requirements for notifications/Part P etc.

I paid a day of my college lecturer's time to check and to help me certify the installation. Finished 236, took 2391 (crash 3-day course) and have never looked back.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

2330 C&G will be good starting point, this would be a two year course (if part-time/evenings) and then progression to the NVQ 2356.
I would suggest on completion of the 2nd year you set your goals on achieving the 2382 (wiring regs) and on completion of your third year you look at attaining the 2394 and or 2395
I understand that from April 2013 that to register as a domestic installer, you will require to have passed a NVQ electrical course.
Age should have no boundaries and discrimination with regards to attaining employment, but unfortunately it does.
I would suggest that you try find a local electrician that is willing to give you some hands on experience and knowledge, as that would be a massive step forward to becoming a competent electrician.
Don't bother with fast track courses, the period of time and the amount of knowledge that is required to be taken in, does not stack up.
In years gone by the government used to subsidised these qualification, but now they have withdrawn most of the funding, so may find out the course fees are quite tasty. There is some concessions offered given to students that don't have certain levels of academic qualifications and also the 24+ advanced loan scheme http://skillsfundingagency.bis.gov.uk/providers/programmes/24AdvancedLearningLoans/

 

[Shaneyboy]

TTC, that has given hope. PBOD thanks for the details of the courses.

Kind Regards.

 

[JohnW2]

TTC, that has given hope. PBOD thanks for the details of the courses.

I don't think anyone has asked you - is your present career (or the training you have had for it) in any way relevant to, or related to, electrical work and/or do you have any past experience, training or qualifications in any field which is in any way related to electrical work?

Kind Regards, John

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Are fireman still retiring at 55?

 

[JohnW2]

Are fireman still retiring at 55?

I think the future of the answer to that depends upon the effect/outcome of the present spate of strikes! ... but I think the current answer is probably yes, as I believe it is for the police force & armed services (unless one achieves a high rank by age 55) and various other careers.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Shaneyboy]

John, no previous experience, PBOD, not far off the mark, Detective Sergeant Met. Hope to retire at 55 if the Government doesn't interfere too much.

Kind Regards.

 

[JohnW2]

John, no previous experience, PBOD, not far off the mark, Detective Sergeant Met. Hope to retire at 55 if the Government doesn't interfere too much.

They seem to be currently trying to interfere with the Fire Service retirement age, so I wouldn't be too certain - although I hope for your sake that they don't interfere! I was thinking that if you did have any relevant past experience, education or qualifications, there might be some shortcuts available to you - that's often the case when people trained in trades leave the armed services. Good luck - I take it that the 'standard solution' of working in the private 'security' sector does not appeal to you?!

Kind Regards, John